This guide presents a comprehensive comparison table for the Hypothesis, Perusall, and Library Reading List (Leganto) collaborative annotation tools.
When selecting the right annotation tool for your course, please note that Hypothesis and Leganto are a part of the UofT's Academic Toolbox and can be integrated in your Quercus course, unlike Perusall which is currently not an approved tool in UofT's Academic Toolbox.
If you choose to incorporate Perusall in your course, you would need to handle the license separately. We also encourage you to review our blog post before incorporating Perusall into your course: Tips to safely implement un-vetted tools in your course.
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1. Which annotation tool is right for my class?
Hypothesis, Perusall, and Library Reading List are annotation tools with a strong focus on collaborative learning. The choice between them will depend on your specific requirements, including the type of content you want to use for annotation, copyright considerations, and integration with Quercus.
1.1. Hypothesis is best for:
- Assignments and discussions that are created within Quercus and that utilize a variety of texts such as classroom readings, scientific articles, books, and more. Because all readings are kept in a Quercus course, it makes it easier for students to access and complete their assignments.
- Student data privacy: the tool is a part of UofT's Academic Toolbox and integrated into Quercus, thus no exposure to an unvetted tool.
1.2. Perusall is best for:
- Courses with copyrighted textbooks that are available in Perusall textbook database.
- Multimedia annotations, including audio and video from different sources.
1.3. Library Reading List is best for:
- Courses with textbooks that are available through U of T library resources and that need to be organized into reading lists for easy-to-use student access via Quercus.
Copyright Considerations
When incorporating social annotation tools into your course, please note that it is necessary to verify the copyright status of all materials used with these tools in collaboration with your liaison librarian.
It is recommended that you only use one annotation tool in the same course.
2. Hypothesis vs. Perusall vs. Library Reading List feature comparison
Perusall | Library Reading List | ||
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Part of UofT Academic Toolbox | Yes; |
No; |
Yes; A part of UofT's Academic Toolbox |
Integrated into Quercus | Yes; |
No; Perusall can be added to Quercus Navigation using Redirect tool. See Add a link to your course navigation using the Redirect tool. |
Yes; Available in course navigation panel in Quercus (disabled by default) Can be used for graded Assignments and ungraded learning activities in Quercus. |
Access and Set Up | Create a new Assignment in Quercus using Hypothes.is tool in the
External Tool option and upload or insert the digital content. |
Create an assignment in Perusall:
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You can create a new Assignment in Quercus using the Read and Respond app in the External Tool option and select the copyright-approved digital content from your Reading List. See How do I start using this feature? |
Types of files that can be annotated |
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What can be included in annotation |
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Privacy of annotations, highlights, and notes |
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Feedback and Grading |
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Copyright considerations |
When uploading files to Hypothesis assignments, use only materials for which you have the rights (e.g., written permission from the author(s), Creative Commons, OER, etc.) Check with your liaison librarian about copyrights on articles before uploading to Hypothesis. |
Perusall requires instructors to assume responsibility for copyright on uploaded content. Proprietary textbooks purchased through Perusall include access rights for purchasing users. |
Any file that is added to the Library Reading List must be approved by the library. You can contact library staff at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding copyrights. |
3. Learn more about Hypothesis, Perusall, and Library Reading List
More about Hypothesis:
More about Perusall:
- Visit Perusall Support web page to access their knowledgebase articles.
More about Library Reading List:
- View guides on the U of T Library website: Introduction to the Library Reading List app in Quercus